As far as gorgeous picturesque islands go, Santorini Island in Greece is high on the list. Famous for its iconic blue and white cubiform houses and equally well-known landscapes, Santorini attracts foreign visitors like pollen attracts bees. The island is abuzz with activity as a result.
Santorini is one of the most-visited places on the planet, it has been impossible for locals to ignore this fact. As a result, much of the accommodation options in Santorini are expensive and even inaccessible to budget travelers.
Which begs the ultimate broke backpacker question… How does one find a budget place to sleep? Santorini camping is an option of course, but to answer this question, I wrote this ultimate guide to the best hostels in Santorini, Greece!
So fear not amigo… There’s a hostel with a hot tub, there are swimming pools a plenty, the free wifi works (mostly) reliably. And the people are lovely! The staff will hook you up with airport transfers and a few Yaya’s around the island will even offer you a free breakfast.
Get exactly what you want out of your travels by gleaning all the low-cost accommodation information you’ll ever need about Santorini, Greece.
So, let’s dive right in…
Photo: @danielle_wyatt
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Quick Answer: The Best Hostels in Santorini
- Best Overall Hostel in Santorini – Bedspot Hostel
- Best Hostel in Santorini for Solo Travelers – Fira Backpackers Place
- Best Cheap Hostel in Santorini – Youth Hostel Anna
- Best Party Hostel in Santorini – Santorini Breeze Studios
- Best Hostel for Digital Nomads in Santorini – Caveland
Photo: @danielle_wyatt
The 5 Best Hostels in Santorini
The nightly price of your accommodation often depends on where you’re staying in Santorini. Deciding on a certain neighbourhood on the island can help with keeping a bit of money in your bank account. However, that doesn’t mean to stay as far away from the action as possible.
There are great Santorini hostels all over the island – check them out!
1. Bedspot Hostel – Best Overall Hostel in Santorini
- Dorm (mixed): From $72
- Private Room: From $187
- Address: Agiou Athanasiou Fira, Santorini, Greece
Bedspot Hostel is one of the hottest hostels in Santorini. Not literally, the air conditioning is great, a must in the Cyclades Islands. This hostel is the overall best hostel in Santorini because of its stunning location in the heart of Fira, the main town on Santorini Island.
Did you peep the swimming pool? Ok, it’s definitely a hot tub, but, the point remains, it’s chic and unique. I can see you now, soothing your feet after a big day of traipsing the island and seeing the sights.
Why you’ll love this hostel:
- Hot Tub
- Epic Communal Spaces
- Free Wifi
This amazing and newly built Greek hostel is a unique and fairly well-priced way of staying a few days in Santorini… Though it certainly ain’t as cheap as others on this list. The inside is absolutely charming and perfect for couples that want to share a private room, but everyone’s welcome here!
Being located in the heart of Fira Santorini means that you’ll be close to all of the action of the island. Eeeeeeverything you need is within a ten-minute walk, there are sweet coffee shops, bumping bars and the beach… ae carrumba. But let’s focus on Bedspot hostel here, there’s a cute little rooftop to hang out and enjoy the view over the city. Stay, I implore you.2
2. Fira Backpackers Place – Best Hostel in Santorini for Solo Travelers
- Dorm (mixed): From $54
- Private Room: From $173
- Address: Fira down town, fira, Santorini, Greece
It’s not a party hostel, but it’s lively enough at Fira Backpackers Place for solo travellers to make friends easily unless you’re busy finding yourself. Yep, this Santorini backpackers hostel is a good bet if you’ll be travelling around this luxury island by yourself, and want to make some friends. There are inside and outside communal areas, a kitchen, and an outdoor pool – all good socialising venues.
Mercifully there’s AC everywhere, not only in the private rooms but also in the dorms. It’s not gonna win any design awards, but it’s basic and serves a purpose. This top hostel in Santorini also offers free coffee all day – and night!
Why you’ll love this hostel:
- Outdoor Pool
- Prime Location
- Free wi fi
Plus, it’s right near the caldera for decent hikes and grand views of the Cyclades Islands. Fira Backpackers Place is close to the main bus station in town so getting here or visiting other parts of Santorini is easy. Leaving may be harder, the staff are lovely here (they’ll happily help you with airport transfers) and it’s Santorini Island!
The dormitory rooms sleep from four to ten people and there are private single rooms too if that’s your jam. Each of the rooms has an ensuite which is sweeeeet, and while air-conditioned accommodation can be hard to come by, each room here has AC. As I mentioned earlier, there’s a kitchen for any and all of your self-catering needs, with heaps of room to do your thang.
3. Youth Hostel Anna – Best Cheap Hostel in Santorini
- Dorm (mixed): From $26
- Address: Eparchiaki Odos Firon-Ormou Perissis, Perissa, 84703, Greece
I love this place, even for a hostel, this cheap accommodation is a great price! So for Santorini Island, this is, like, unprecedented (unless you try some Santorini camping of course…). Youth Hostel Anna is the best budget hostel in Santorini, hands-down, no question. The level of cleanliness is impressive and the staff are on hand to answer any Qs you may have about diving or other activities.
With Perissa Beach a very short walk away, if you’re on a budget you should deffo be thinking about staying at this place. Two minutes to the beach and a three-minute walk to the supermarket and bakery sounds like the perfect holiday spot for me! You’re out of the main tourist hubub, which I’m into but if you wanna be in the mix a bit more, keep this in mind.
Why you’ll love this hostel:
- Two minutes to the Aegean Sea
- Self-catering Facilities
- Dormitory Rooms Only
The dormitory rooms are basic but bright and clean, all you need, with bunk dorm beds sleeping between four and ten people. There are mixed and female only dormitory rooms and each room is air conditioned accommodation at Youth Hostel Anna, woop woop! The rooms are cleaned daily too which doesn’t always happen, especially at cheap hostels.
While being six km out of town isn’t everyone’s idea of a prime location, most people can get around it for a low price. Youth Hostel Anna has wonderful amenities in-house and close by, including the stunning deep blue Aegean Sea and cheap Gyros just down the street. Check yo’ self before you wreck yo’ self when eating street food – please take it from me, potentially the best food you’ll eat though!
And, has wonderful friendly staff who are so happy to help you to organise trips to make the most of your time in Santorini Island. Talk to the staff about airport transfers, they’re happy to help!
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View on Osprey View on REI4. Santorini Breeze Studios – Best Party Hostel in Santorini
- Dorm (mixed): From $32
- Private Room: From $87
- Address: Perissa, Santorini, Greece
Santorini Breeze Studios is in an epic location, with a beautiful big outdoor pool to laze by if you can’t make it to the sea. Or you could stay fit on vacation and swim some hot laps, you do you boo.
Located in Perissa, the beach is 150m away and there are fun vibey beach bars all around. While Fira is the hub for nightlife, you can definitely have a disco boogie in the lively cosmopolitan village of Perissa.
The air conditioned accommodation has soundproofed walls which is sounding like a hangover recovery wet dream to me! There’s an on site bar for hair of the dog and that lusty swimming pool to slosh into to refresh yourself for the next round. If you need to eat something, make use of the kitchen or walk the 250m to ask someone to kindly rustle up a Gyro for you.
Why you’ll love this hostel:
- Outdoor Pool
- Cheap Accommodation
- Free Wi Fi
The dorm rooms are small so the likelihood of having a loud roomie is slim. With a four bed female dorm and a six bed mixed dormitory room, you’ll be sleeping peacefully, with no stress about your budget. Each of the dormitory rooms has a private bathroom and a private balcony which is a pretty nice touch.
You get beach towels and bathroom towels when you stay at Santorini Breeze studios, because who wants to do laundry on vacay?! Especially when you’re here to party, you’ll love that fresh linen feeling.
5. Caveland – Best Hostel for Digital Nomads in Santorini
- Dorm (mixed): From $59
- Private Room: From $169
- Address: Karterados Former tennis club, Karterados, 84700, Greece
Caveland, you say? Hmm. But yeah, Caveland has everything to do with caves, since it’s housed in an 18th-century winery. Just a five-minute drive away from the hustle of Fira, in the village of Karterados, you’ll be tucked away and able to zone into work. When you’re done for the day you can walk, drive or ATV into town to drink an apéro and soak up Santorini Island.
It’s a unique way to stay on this expensive luxury island and, whilst not exactly a budget hostel in Santorini, it’s relatively cheap accommodation. Caveland will provide the digital nomad who thinks they’ve seen it all with something to freshen up the mind in terms of a hostel experience. The atmosphere combined with decent WiFi, BBQ nights, (almost) free coffee, and definitely, completely free breakfast, you got yourself easily the coolest hostel in Santorini.
Why you’ll love this hostel:
- Swimming Pool
- Donation based coffee
- Self Catering Facilities
There’s a private double room that has a shared bathroom but the majority of the dorm beds here are in shared dormitory rooms. The rooms sleep between four and ten and are spacious with a desk/seating area, great for mingling if you’re travelling solo. If you communicate with your roomies, you might even be able to snag that space for getting work done and still have shared room fun.
When the heat of the day hits, you can enjoy the outdoor pool. The beach is a walk away down the hill but for a quick mid-day cool off, get in that swimming pool! Definitely find time to get into that healing Aegean Sea though, it’s thought to be one of the reasons Greece is a blue zone.
Karterados Village is quaint and typical of Santorini Island, you’ll see Yaya’s (grandmothers) in their front yards and Pappoo’s (grandfathers) doing their rounds on donkeys. You’ll be able to get familiar with the people if you park up here awhile which is something I find so special about travelling. Being a digital nomad and being able to live your nine-to-five in and around other cultures is wonderful and invaluable.
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It looks exactly like a normal belt except for a SECRET interior pocket perfectly designed to hide a wad of cash, a passport photocopy or anything else you may wish to hide. Never get caught with your pants down again! (Unless you want to…)
Hide Yo’ Money!More Epic Santorini Hostels
There are so many awesome places to discover in Santorini, it’s hard to fit everything in. If you get bored of the same accommodation each night, don’t worry, there are even more epic hostels on the island.
6. Villa Manos
- Private Room: From $97
- Address: Karterados, Fira, Santorini, Greece
Whilst not actually a hostel, this hotel-type place does offer private rooms that go up to six beds. So if you’re travelling in a group – or you’ve made some friends along the way, this is a good option. Villa Manos isn’t greatly expensive either since prices are per room so you can divvy that up between yourselves.
So yeah, it’s not precisely a Santorini backpackers hostel, but it is very decent. The swimming pool is huge and features a pool bar, and the terrace here has amazing sea views. So yeah.
7. Stavros Villas
- Private Room: From $141
- Address: Main Street, Karterados, 84700, Greece
Far from a youth hostel in Santorini, Stavros Villas is a B&B just on the outskirts of Fira. This means a more chilled place to stay (the atmosphere is nice ‘n’ relaxed), though some people might not like the long walk into town. Although it’s billed as a B&B, breakfast is not free, though, of course, it’s served.
There’s also a bar and a pool – all the normal things you’d expect from a Greek island sorta place to stay. The beds are super comfortable, the staff are more than just accommodating (ask about airport transfers!), and the beach is a short walk away. It’s all good. And pretty cheap, too.
8. Hostel Santorini
- Dorm (mixed): From $27
- Private Room: From $56
- Address: Perissa Santorini, Santorini, Greece
This cheap accommodation on Santorini Island is hot off the press! With modern, clean facilities on the beautiful beach of Perissa, you’ll love being right behind Tranquilo Beach Bar. As the name suggests, it’s Tranquilo (chill), but a beach bar, so vibes too.
The common room here is a good time and has a kitchenette if you want to cook your own food to save some cash. Some rooms are private with twin or double beds set up and a private bathroom as well as a private balcony… could be romantic, no? There’s also the classic dormitory rooms set up, a mixed eight dorm bedroom and a female only four-bed room.
9. Hostel 16 Oia
- Dorm (mixed): From $65
- Address: Oia, 84702, Greece
Up in the north of Santorini Island is Oia, and this hostel has two eight-bed dormitory rooms to make your home during your stay. With a female-only dorm and a mixed dorm, you can pick where you feel most comfortable and settle in. This beautiful hostel has a beautiful aesthetic and a comfy lounge area that encourages connection with fellow travellers.
With free wi fi, it’s an epic place to post up as a digital nomad, with lots of beautiful nature around for after-work walks. There’s a bar (have you tried Vinsanto?) and tea and coffee-making facilities to keep you well hydrated, key in the heat of Greece! If you’re checking out and have a late flight or departure, there’s luggage storage at Hostel 16 Oia too.
10. Utopia Guesthouse
It’s a ‘guesthouse’, but they have dorms here (Yesss!) so it’s more of a budget hostel in Santorini. Said dorms are only 4-bed, but the prices really are good. And is housed in one of the oldest buildings still standing at Perissa Beach (allegedly).
It is also super close to the beach (they also have their section of the beach cordoned off), with a vegetarian restaurant on site. Plus being close enough to bars and eateries near the beach, with superb facilities, and bright and tasteful decor…
No wonder they call this place Utopia Guesthouse, am I right? Definitely, definitely a top hostel in Santorini. Even though it doesn’t call itself one.
11. Holiday Beach Resort
The name might not exactly inspire you in terms of bargain-icity the same way a youth hostel in Santorini might. But know this: Holiday Beach Resort offers private rooms of up to six beds. These are somewhat like little holiday apartments… Complete with table ‘n’ chairs, ensuites, and a mini kitchenette area. Because the price is per room, they work out pretty dang cheap.
Chuck a swimming pool into the mix, an onsite restaurant, places to hang out and meet people, and a friendly vibe, and you’re on! This a great place to save a bit of cash so you have more to spare trying the awesome food in Santorini. I’ll reiterate though, this is not technically a hostel.
12. The Birds Villa 2 Apartments
It’s almost as if apartment is Greek for hostel – this is a budget way to stay in Santorini. And at The Birds Villa 2 Apartment, the name of the game is value for money. Practically a budget hostel in Santorini.
Not only does this place offer free breakfast – but each apartment (some of which sleep up to 8) comes with a FREE CAR! Huh?! What?! I know. That’s an amazing deal. So if you fancy exploring the island and all the amazing Santorini things to do after a gratis continental breakfast you should probs stay here.
Each apartment also has an outdoor BBQ space to use. No pool, but driving to the beach in that free car is definitely an option.
13. Villa Kasteli
Location: awesome. Staff: awesome. Cleanliness: super clean. Interior: cosy. Basically, everything about Villa Kasteli shapes up for it to be the best hostel in Santorini Island. It’s all about beaches here, you’ll be happy to know it’s a short walk to the famously long stretch of black sand that is Perissa Beach.
What else makes this the best hostel in Santorini? The team that runs this place is super nice! There are private ‘hotel’ rooms as well as dorms, it’s in a quiet street, there’s a tasty 24-hour bakery opposite, oh and it’s a right bargain, too. What’s not to love?
Getting Insured BEFORE Visiting Santorini
ALWAYS sort out your backpacker insurance before your trip. There’s plenty to choose from in that department, but a good place to start is Safety Wing.
They offer month-to-month payments, no lock-in contracts, and require absolutely no itineraries: that’s the exact kind of insurance long-term travellers and digital nomads need.
SafetyWing is cheap, easy, and admin-free: just sign up lickety-split so you can get back to it!
Click the button below to learn more about SafetyWing’s setup or read our insider review for the full tasty scoop.
FAQ about Hostels in Santorini
Here are some quick answers to common questions about safety in Santorini.
What to Pack for your Santorini Hostel
Pants, socks, underwear, soap?! Take it from me, packing for a hostel stay is not always quite as straightforward as it seems. Working out what to bring and what to leave at home is an art I have perfected over many years.
Ear Plugs
Snoring dorm-mates can ruin your nights rest and seriously damage the hostel experience. This is why I always travel with a pack of decent ear plugs.
Hanging Laundry Bag
Trust us, this is an absolute game changer. Super compact, a hanging mesh laundry bag stops your dirty clothes from stinking, you don’t know how much you need one of these… so just get it, thank us later.
Sea To Summit Micro Towel
Hostel towels are scummy and take forever to dry. Microfibre towels dry quickly, are compact, lightweight, and can be used as a blanket or yoga mat if need be.
Monopoly Deal
Forget about Poker! Monopoly Deal is the single best travel card game that we have ever played. Works with 2-5 players and guarantees happy days.
Grayl Geopress Water Bottle
Always travel with a water bottle! They save you money and reduce your plastic footprint on our planet. The Grayl Geopress acts as a purifier AND temperature regulator. Boom!
Check out my definitive Hostel Packing list for even more top hostel packing tips!
How much does a hostel cost in Santorini?
On average, hostel prices are always changing ESPECIALLY in Europe, but you can generally expect to pay around $50 to $68+ per night.
What are the best hostels in Santorini for couples?
Bedspot Hostel is the top-rated hostel for couples in Santorini. It’s charming and perfect for couples who want to share a private room.
What is the best hostel in Santorini near the airport?
Caveland is my pick! The staff will even arrange airport transfers for you, book ’em in.
Final Thoughts on Santorini’s Hostels
By now I hope my epic guide to the best hostels in Santorini has helped you choose the perfect hostel for your adventure! There are so many beautiful options on Santorini Island and lots of different areas to stay. Definitely figure out what you want from your trip and stay somewhere that suits the holiday you want.
If you’re still on the fence, my executive decision would be to stay at Bedspot Hostel. It’s number one for a reason baby! It’s in the heart of Fira which of course, you pay for, it’s not a cheap stay but so worth it. The views of the volcano and steep hills of Caldera are priceless, the staff are gorgeous and they’ll help you with airport transfers.
If you’re looking for a more budget-friendly accom, I feel ya! My cheap pick is Youth Hostel Anna. It’s location in Perissa Beach, in the southeastern part of Santorini is stunning and I love being off the beaten track. You’ll love the proximity to the Aegean Sea and alternating between laying on the black sand beaches and diving into the deep blue.
Wherever you stay, Santorini Island is magical. I’m sure you’ll love it and I’d love to hear about it!
If you think I’ve missed anything or have any further thoughts, hit me up in the comments!
Photo: @danielle_wyatt
- Check out our extensive guide to backpacking in Greece for a wealth of info!
- Check out the best places to stay in Santorini before you arrive.
- Remember to grab yourself an international sim card for Greece to avoid any issues.
- Prepare for your trip with our backpacking packing list.
- Get ready for your next destination with our ultimate Europe backpacking guide.
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